There have been multiple, unconfirmed reports of a bear on Palomar Mountain

A few days earlier a Border Patrol night vision camera picked up what appeared to be an image of black bear crossing a highway near the U.S. Mexican border near the Imperial County line.

Thirteen years ago there were several bear sightings in the San Diego County including on Palomar Mountain and near the communities of Julian and Ramona. No one had any explanation for their sudden appearances and subsequent disappearances.

In 1999 and 2000, there were 12 bear sightings reported before a 200-pound black bear was shot in Ballena Valley, nine miles east of Ramona. The bear had wandered onto a ranch and the rancher, fearing for his livestock, shot the bear in the head.

“This is exciting news to us to have this species reintroduced into our forest and even here in San Diego County,” Murany said in her online post. “People ask us all of the time why we do not have bear up here.”

She said the reason for her posting was to alert mountain residents.

“Black bears are very dexterous,” she wrote. “Start going around your property and bear proofing it. We do not want this bear to become dependent on food from people. We we want to keep it wild. As soon as the black bear learns that it has easy access to food, such as from a trash can, it will become dependent on that food source. It will go after the immediate availability of food. Just one simple opportunity will create a problem for both species; us and the bear.”